Buffy sluggishly carried the box in and set it down in her new room. It was so white. So stark. So new. She could still smell the fresh paint, and feel the plushness of the new carpet beneath her feet. She tried to tell herself that new was good. New equals good. Old equals bad. Because with old comes pain. The pain of remembering. And Buffy desperately wanted to forget. So gone were the pink frilly things, and the boy band posters. The Buffy that had that stuff was still a child. This Buffy was not a child any longer. She wanted to look to the future. Not to the past and a child hood that had been violently ripped away from her.
*Flashback*
Buffy danced shimmied and shook to the bubble gum pop music that was pouring from the radio as she chopped carrots for her salad. Her mom and step-dad Giles were out having dinner at a fancy restaurant. It was their five year anniversary, and they had reservations at the nicest place in town. Buffy didn’t mind staying at home by herself, it gave her time to let loose.
Buffy turned the radio down as she heard the phone ring.
“Hello? Oh hey Wills, what’s up? Nope they’re out. But--wait hold on, there’s someone at the door.”
Buffy set the phone down and flounced to the door and swung it open. On the other side were two male police officers.
“Oh officer, I’m sorry, did I have my music to loud?” Buffy asked mortified. That stodgy old lady next door probably called the cops. “I promise I’ll keep it down.”
“Are you Buffy Summers?”
“Yeah-huh. What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, but your mother and step-father have been in an accident.”
Buffy dropped the phone, her best friend forgotten.
“But they’re okay right?”
The officer gave his partner a pointed look. “You’re going to have to come with us.”
“Are they OKAY?” Buffy yelled, feet planted.
The officer sighed. He hated this part. She was so young. “I’m sorry miss. They didn’t make it.”
“No. No. Nonononononono. This can’t be happening, THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!”
*End Flashback*
A couple of kids had stolen a car and decided they’d be okay running a red light. They hit them from the side and pushed them into the car beside them. They didn’t have a chance. The paramedics pronounced at the scene. Buffy closed her eyes and tried to block out the memories but they just kept coming.
*Flashback*
Buffy walked slowly down the hall of the hospital. Then she saw it. The door with the big letters MOURGE on it. Buffy took a deep breath and walked in. She saw all the cold steel gleaming at her. A woman in a white coat walked up to her.
“Hi I’m Fred. You must be Buffy Summers.”
Buffy nodded, numb.
“Right this way. We’ll try and make this quick and painless.” Buffy followed her over to a wall that had doors. Fred opened two and pulled the stretchers out. Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat. Fred pulled back the first to reveal the face of the person she had considered her father for the past five years. He looked so peaceful. Buffy nodded to Fred and she pulled the sheet back over his face. She went to the next one and pulled it down. It was her mother. She looked so cold. Nothing like Giles.
“Mommy…” Buffy said, trying to hold back a sob. She reached out and touched her face. It didn’t feel like skin anymore. Buffy promptly turned around and emptied the contents of her stomach on the cold metal floor.
*End Flashback*
Buffy sighed and started pulling things out of boxes. It was only a month ago, but it seemed like ages. Social Services had tried to get a hold of her real father, but he couldn’t be bothered with a teenager. Him and his new wife were in Spain, living it up. He didn’t even come to her funeral.
Buffy turned around to the sounds of swearing coming from the living room. Spike.
“Christ pet what did you put in here, rocks?” Spike yelled.
Buffy smiled a sad smile. If it weren’t for Spike she didn’t know where she’d be now. Off in some foster home or orphanage. Buffy walked out into the living room, and saw Spike struggling with a massive suitcase.
“It’s only my shoes,” Buffy said.
“How many pairs of shoes do you own? You could prolly start your own department store judging by the weight of this.” Spike set it down in the middle of the room, wiping sweat from his brow. He still had to lug her furniture in here.
Spike looked at Buffy. She looked old. To old for sixteen. But fate didn’t ask an age. It didn’t discriminate. Just because Buffy was to young, to innocent, that didn’t stop her parents from being violently torn from her.
“Hey where should I put this?” Xander asked, holding Buffy’s desk chair.
“Just put it over there mate, we gotta get the desk in still.” Xander was a good kid. Bad family.
The three of them managed to get all of Buffy’s stuff in her room without a hitch. Spike sent Xander off and asked Buffy if she’d like some dinner.
“No thanks,” Buffy said. “I think I’ll just get some stuff unpacked. I’m not really hungry anyways.”
“Are you sure pet? I could whip something up real quick.”
“No that’s okay. When is Cecily coming?” Buffy said, asking about his wife.
“She’s getting things wrapped up in LA still. She should be here next week.”
Buffy nodded. “I’m just gonna go and get unpacked then.”
Spike watched her go, defeated. There wasn’t much he could do. Spike dropped down on the couch and stared at the black TV screen. He didn’t have the energy to turn it on. Spike could still remember the first day he met Buffy two years ago. He’d been twenty-six then and would’ve sworn on his dead mother’s grave that Buffy was at least seventeen. But she wasn’t. She’d been only fourteen.
*Flashback*
Spike knocked nervously on the door of 1630 Revello Drive. He was meeting his half-brother’s family for the first time. They were just recently reacquainted after being estranged for so many years. They shared a father and nothing else. Spike being the illegitimate second child, with a woman that wasn’t Rupert’s mother. Needless to say, they weren’t exactly close.
That’s when Buffy opened the door, and Spike’s heart stopped. Golden blond hair, California tan, shiny pink lips was all he could think about. “You must be Spike,” Buffy said, flashing her 1000 watt smile. “I’m Buffy, Joyce’s daughter.”
Spike gave her a devilish smirk. “Yeah that’s me pet.” He turned on the charm. There was no way he wasn’t gonna flirt with this goddess before him. He looked her up and down with a leer. She had to be at least seventeen.
Buffy blushed prettily and stepped back allowing him to enter. She turned around and let him to the living room, and took his coat. “So Giles tells me you just got out of law school,” Buffy said.
“Yeah pet. Just graduated.” Spike sat down and watched her cute little behind and she leaned over to hang his jacket up.
“That’s cool,” Buffy said.
“So… where’s that brother of mine?”
“Oh mom sent him to the store. He should be back in a minute.” She looked down at the carpet barely glancing up at him through her lashes.
“Well then.” He had this blonde beauty to himself for a few minutes at least. “What are you going to school for then?”
“Uhh… I go to high school.”
Damn. “When you graduate?” Please be soon.
“Uhh… three more years.”
Spike’s jaw dropped. This girl was in bleedin’ 9th grade? She was a freshman? In HIGH SCHOOL??!
“William! You made it!”
Spike looked up to see his half-brother standing there. The half-brother whose step-daughter looked like she could be in college. The step-daughter that he’d been having lude thoughts about ever since he stepped in the door. Who was probably fourteen.
He didn’t look at her the rest of the night.
*End Flashback*
Spike shook himself out of his reverie. He got up to go get himself a beer, but paused outside Buffy’s room. He could hear her soft sobs coming from inside. Spike sank down to the floor, back to her door. He wanted to run in and comfort her, wrap her up in his arms and tell her it was all going to be okay. But it wasn’t going to be okay. He couldn’t giver her, her parents back. So he sat there and listened until the sobs got quieter and eventually tapered off into nothingness.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!